Electrolyzer electrode of the filter press type



ELECTROLYZER-ELECTRODE OF THE FILTER PRESS TYPE'J Filed March 9. 1927'gif l f hrewfw'.'

' Pe c/Mradwz if y Patented Sept Z7, 1927.

UNITED STATES RODOLPI-IE PECHKRANZ, OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

ELECTROLYZER ELECTRODE OF THE FILTER PRESS TYPE.

Application filed March 9, 1927, Serial No. 174,032, and in SwitzerlandFebruary 5, 1926.

This invention relates to an electrolyzer electrode of the filter presstype.

It comprises a body, made of ay sheet meta-l or plate the maximumthickness of which 1s 5 1 mm., and a frame thicker than said sheet metalor plate.

Two constructional forms of the electrode are shown by way of examplesin the accompanying drawing.

m Figure l is a front elevation of the first constructional form on asmall scale.

Figure 2. is a partial cross section of said form on a. larger scalethrough line A-B of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial cross section of the second constructional form ona great scale.

The first constructional form (Figures l and 2) comprises a frame a ofrectangular shape made for instance of an iron plate or sheet coveredwith a thin layer of nickel and having a thickness of 4 mm.; the frame ais obtained either by cutting out a plate of the desired dimensions orby vautogenous welding of its various portions o. c, d, e

'25 prepared separately. The portion b has recesses f, g intended toform conduits for the gases and the portion d a recess k belonging tothe water feed and electrolyte circulation conduit. To the frame a issecured by means of rivets z' a thin plate j, for inl stance 01.2 or 0,3mm. thick, made of nickel or of nickel covered with a very thin layer ofiron on the negative face in order to have the benefits of the lesstension required by iron for the evolving of hydrogen. The rivets z' acton the thin plate by means of astrengthening piece lc, and not directly.

It is easy to obtain, by rolling or electrolytic deposit on a levelform, thin plates 40 having the given thickness land perfectly level. Onthe other hand the fixing of the electrode between the correspondingdiaphragms at the desired distance from the same, is effected quiteeasily with the assistance of the frame a: in fact. in view of the smallthickness of the plate j there could be no question of clamping itbetween two diaphragme as it is done for electrodes of thick plate. Y

The iron skin or film, the part lo could be done away with.

The fixing of the plate j to the frame a. could be effected in someother manner, for instance by electric point welding.

The frame could be made of sectional iron to which the thin plate j issecured by cementing, by electric welding-for instance point welding-bygalvanoplastic adhesion obtained when manufacturing the electrodes or insome other manner; in the case of the galvanoplastic adhesion, thecovering of the frame a with a thin layer of nickel, the galvanoplasticpreparation of the thin plate j and a complete adhesion of both frameand plate to another are obtained at the same time by a single immersioninto the galvanoplastic bath.

The second constructional form (Figure also comprises the thin metalsheet or plate having for instance a thickness 0f 70 0,2 or 0,3 mm.,made of nickel or of nickel covered on the negative face with a thinlayer of iron. The plate y' is secured by means of cement t in a frame uof rectangular shape made of U- shaped iron pieces; in this frame u adiaphragm o also is maintained by the cement t. The frames uA are placedside by side; between the same are packing pieces fw for obtaining tightjoints. From the left' to the right of Figure 3, there 3 are a chamberm, where hydrogen is evolved, a diaphragm o, a chamber y, in whichoxygen is evolved, the electrode j, an hydrogen chamber a, a diaphragm,an oxygen chamber 2, an electrode y', a hydrogen Cham- 85 ber 3, etc.The securing of the electrode j is therefore obtained in saidconstructional form by the frame a, in which the diaphragm o already issecured.

The plate y' could be strengthened at some 90 other places than on itscircumference.

Tha-t I claim is:

In an electrolyzer electrode of the filter press type, the combinationwith a plane sheet metal body the maximum thickness of which is l mm.,of a frame thicker than said metal sheet, the latter being rigidly fixedto the frame in a true plane for the purpose of warranting a perfectplane of the thin sheet when the electrode is being handled forassembling in and disassembling from the apparatus, and in order toprevent a distortion of said thin sheet when assembled under pressure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

f RODOLPHE PECHKRANZ.

